A summary of where your vote is likely to end up if you vote above the line in the senate. Updated for the 2007 election.

http://www.ozpolitic.com/electoral-reform/senate-group-voting-tickets-above-line-guide.html

Roughly 95% of Australians vote above the line in the senate. This makes voting far easier and gives considerable negotiating power to the party you vote for. The downside is that many people are unaware of how their favourite party distributes preferences and may not agree with where their vote ends up. The table below makes it easier for people to figure out what will happen to their senate vote. The information is from the Australian Electoral Commission website. It is based on the senate group voting tickets provided by each party in NSW for the 2007 federal election (other state senate tickets are likely to be very similar – check the AEC website if you have concerns).

Each party that was registered in NSW is listed on the left and the numbers to the right indicate how it ranks the seven major parties. The seven parties were chosen because they all currently have sitting senators, or did so until recently in the case of One Nation. However you vote, your ballot paper will probably end up in the pile belonging to one of these seven parties. Remember that your vote can count towards the election of several senators – if your first choice has double the necessary number of votes to get elected, he is elected and your ballot paper is passed to your next choice, but has half it’s original value. So make sure you agree with at least the first few rankings, especially if you vote for Labor or the Coalition. Where more than one ranking is indicated, your vote will be split evenly in two or three ways. This is because parties are allowed to submit up to three equally weighted senate tickets.

Only half the Senate is up for re-election, so whatever happens, Labor cannot win control of the Senate.

That leaves three possible outcomes:

1) Liberals win government and control the Senate (as now).

2) Labor wins government, but faces a 'hostile' Senate blocking legislation.

3) The Greens win the balance of power providing responsible review of legislation for whoever wins government.

The choice is yours.

It should be pointed out that the balance of power could easily be jointly held by the Greens AND Democrats. Given there's relatively little difference in policy, but the latter have the experience and a stronger philosophy of negotiation above idealism, I would like to see at least one Democrats Senate seat remaining, although current polling is not looking too favourable (Bartlett has the highest primary vote, but the preferences are against him).

Yes, pity about Bartlett. He's a good guy, but as a Qld Greens member I'm actively working to take his seat from him :(

However, the good news is that Greens lead Senate candidate Larissa Waters has an outside chance of doing just that.

I would give Larissa more than a 50% chance of winning a seat. The Greens got 90% of the way there in QLD last time round and there will be more of a swing to the left this time round.

I too prefer the way the Democrats approach things and will be ranking them above the Greens. I have no idea why the Democrats are doing so poorly. They came across as far more sensible when I have seen them speak in person, even compared to the two major parties.

This could be interesting:

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Hanson-says-Saturdays-vote-down-to-wire/2007/11/21/1195321845866.html

"Recent polling has suggested Ms Hanson is again unlikely to secure a Queensland Senate seat, with Labor tipped to pick up three spots, the Liberals two and the Nationals, Australian Greens and Australian Democrats fighting it out for the sixth seat.